

Hll 




01 1 897 588 1 



E 422 

.G33 
Copy 



nmn mui, Ii^tellectuil, & professional 

GHAHACTBR, 

vn by the Hon. John J. Crilicnden, Hon. John M. Clayton, Hon. John Sergeant, 
Truman Smith, Hon Robert Toombs, Hon. Caleb B. Smith, Hon. Robert C. 
Schenck, Hon. John C. Spencer, Col. Humphrey Mcirshall, Gen. Persifer F. Smith, 
Cupt. Bragg, of the U. S. Army, Col. Jefferson Davis, J. C. Breclanridge, Esq., 
the /?«'. M: Lamb, Rev Mr. Hurt, and Father McElroy, of the Catholic Church; 
together icith his opinions on war, and anecdotes illustrative of his republican habits 
and simplicity of manners, his humanity, his indomitable courage, his fearlessness^ 
his firmness and determination, his condescension and familiarity, his vigilance in 
protecting his soldiers against imposition, his respect for, and attachment to, his 
troops, his goodness of heart and kind feelings, and his punctnalily in correspondence; 
concluding with some remarkable specimens of brevity in composition and letter- 
writing, to ivhich the attention of the public is invited. 



Gen. 7(/i//or's cliaraclcr as drawn by llie Hon. .John J. 
Critti'mlen. 

Mr. Crittendeii's speech to the friends of Taylor 
and Fillmore, at Murray's yard, (in Pittsbiirj,'-, 
Penn.,) was almost wholly an elonuent, warm- 
hearted culo2;y of the character of Generii.1 Taylor, 
public and private. A few of the points comment- 
ed on are as follows 



time they sat together on seventeen courts martial, 
m'any of them important and irnricate cases, and in 
every single instance Zachary Taylor had been ap- 
poinied to draw up the opinion of the court; a bril- 
liant testimony to his superior abilities, and ripe 
learnings, and practical knowlods;c. 

Gcna-al Taylor''^ humunily and shnpikity of char- 
acter.— General Taylor is a plain, unassuming, un-'. 
ostentatious, genlleminly mr-.n. _There is no pride. 



General ruylorisa rr'AiV.— This, the speaker s;.id, ! no foppery, no airs about him. When in the army 



])e declared from his own knowledge. He is a 
Whig — a good Whi^' — a thorough Whig. I know 
him to be a Whig, but not an ultra Whig. All 
his political feelings are identified with the Whig 
parly. 

General Taylor is an honest man. — On the upright- 
ness of General Taylor's character Mr. Crittenden 
dwelt with great earnestness, as a irait which he 
knew, and felt, and aihnired. He .said he was em- 
phatically an honest man, and he defied the oppo- 
nents of the old soldier to bring aught against him, 
impeaching his uprishiiiess, in all his tiaTisactions, 
during a public life of forty yars. His appearance 
and manntrs bear the impress of such sterling hon- 
esty, that peculation, meanness, and rascality are 
frightened tVom liis presence. Gen. Twiggs, who 
l\as been on habits of intimate personal intercourse 
with him, said to the speaker, lately, that there was 
not a man in the worki, who had been in the com- 
pany of General Taylor five minutes, wlio would 
dare make an improper proposition to him. Dis- 
honesty flees from his presence. 

Gen^Tal Taylor is a man of great ahilities. — Flis 
whole military life gave evidence of this. He never 
oommitied a blunder, or lost a battle. There is not 
another man in ihe army who would have fou^rht 
tile battle of Buena Vista l)ut Geneial Taylor — and 
not another who would have won it. Examine 
the whole historj' of his exploits, in all their details, 
and you see the evidence of far-reaching .sagacity, 
and great ability. 

General Taylor is a man of learning. — Not mere 
scholastic learninsr — he has never graduated at 



le fared just as his soldiers fared— ate the same 
food -slept under his tent, and underwent similar 
fatigue, for 18 months, in Mexico, never sleeping in 
ahou.se one night. His humanity, kindness, and 
simplicity of character, had won f<>r him the love 
of liis soldiers. He never kept a guard around his 
tent, or any pomp or parade. He trusted his sol- 
diers, and 'they misted and loved him in return. 
His heart moved to human woe, and he was care- 
ful of the lives of his soldiers, and liumane to the 
crrin::, and to the vanquislud foe. He is a friend 
of the mas.ses; there is no aristocracy about him— 
he is a true Democrat. He will adorn the White 
House, and shed new light over the hiding and 
fixl.se Democracy of the day, which lias far gone 
into its .sear and yellow leaf; he will bring ma 
true, vigorous, verdant, refreshing Democracy. 

General Taylm- proscribes no man for opinion's sake. 
—He is a good and true Whig, but he will pro- 
.scribe no man for a difference of opinion. He 
hate-s- loathes proscription. He loves the free in- 
dependent utterance of opinion 

General Taylor's petition. --Some object, said the 
speaker, to General Taylor, because he la from the 
Souih, and is a slaveholder. Are we not one peo- 
ple.' Do you not love the Union ? Have 1 not the 
same rights, as a Kentuckian, to all the benefits of 
our i,'loriovis Union, that you have as Pennsylva- 
nians.'' We are one iieo|ile, from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific; from our most northern line to the Rio 
Grande we are one people- it is all my coiuUry — it 
is all ijours. There is no country, there never was 
a country, like this. Rome, in her mightiest days, 



coUeiTC — l)ut his mind is richly stored with that | never possessed .so vast and splendid a country as 

this — so grand, so great, so glorious Our destiny 

is as glorious as oui country, if we hold together,, 
and do not suffer sectional prejudices to divide u.s. 
We speak one lauiruage— our identity is the same; 
we arc one consolidated people, and our succes.^has 
hitherto been glorious and unprecedented. Shall 
we, then, divide in feeling.' No, no ! No raal.tci 
wht-re our man is from, if he is an American. Gea 
Taylor, in his feelings, knows no South, no North, 
DO "East, no West. 'He is an American ! Whera 



practical knowledge which is ac(]uired both from 
men and books. He i.s a deeply read man, in all 
ancient and modern history, and in all matters re- 
lating to the practical duties of lil'e, civil and mili- 
tary. He is intimate with Plutarch, said the speak- 
er — a P.utarch hero himself, as bright as ever adorn- 
ed the page of history. Gen. Gilison has told him, 
that he and Gen. Taylor had entered the army nearly 
together, and had served together almost consUint- 
ly, until he (Gibson) retired, and that during that 
J. &. G. S. Gideon, Printers. 



' ^ -fij. 



^14-2 7. 



luis he lived? In liia ttnt for forty years. His j civil administration, ouglit to be peculiarly conscious 
iiouie, for forty years, has been under the stars and , of liis own deficiencies." 

stripes of the American flag! — the flag of his whole Taylor ia the man of modern times who has ri- 
valled this admirable modesty, and hi.s friends so far 



country. 

iientrul Tmjlor^s habits. — He is a temperate man ; 
he never drank" a bottle of spirits in his lile. His 
habits are exemplary. 

General Taijlor''s inJiexibUilij of characUr. — Final- 
y, said the speaker, he is a man you cannot buy — 
a man you cannot sell — a man you cannot scare— 
and a man who never surrenders. — Pittsbwj; Guz. 



from regarding it us u fault, view it as one of the 
brightest among the features which adorn his heroic 
character. 

General Taylor''s character as drawn bij the Hon. John 
Sergeant of Philadelphia. 

To he able at such a jieriod as the present to 

place in the highest office of our Government a man 

General Taylor''s character as drawn by the Hon. John j whose every fjualily attests his being of the race of 

M. Clayton^ Senator of the U. S.from Delaioare. j the mightv men, the sages and the patriots, whoje 

The Hon. genileman, (Mr. Senator Foot, of i mc">ory we do honor, ninsl be re-arded as a new 

Mississippi,) also attacks General Taylor on the , ^"'f. ["^ o«'" country. Irue to the Consl.tiUion, 

ground that he lacks qualifications. In justice, j f^"''.'^".l ^o"^ precepts and mjunctions, understand- 



quauncations. m justi 
however, to his own noble heart, the Senator ad- 
mits that General Taylor is a pure, honorable, high- 
minded, and patriotic man. Dut he finds fault with 
General Taylor on account of what he supposes to 
evince a want of great learning. He reasons from 
General Taylor's confession that he was not a poli- 
tician, that he is not competent for the Presidency. , - , , ,. ,,-,•• -■ ■ /• 
That is, I think, his chief objection. The gentleman ' 'Joe^ "Ot belong to hmi, and dechmng none i is fit 
certainly did also find much fault with one or two of • '« ^^O"''^, '''''''^'f], '^'^'V^ ^'''"'' ^^^:*' y' ""'"^ ^'^^■ 
General Taylor's letters. I shall not deny that his ' !«■«« step he will follow the course ot duty, accord- 
letters, like those of other great military command- ! '"S 1? .^''^ plaljormoi the Constitution, with the 
ers, written in the hurry of a camp, and on a bar- ^^^^ ''S'^^^ "P°» '^ 'dlorded by past or present times 
rel, a box, or a drum-head, have not the beauty of i Tbese are the assurances given by all his conduct 
- - - j.]j jljy ogiitle- I ^'^^ character through a long, and active, and hon- 



it in the spirit and sense of those who framed 
it, with a heart too pure to be seduced, and too 
brave to be sacrificed. General Taylor will be the 
President contemplated by the pcojile when they 
created that high office. Witli the Constitution for 
his guide, and the v^hole interests of the nation for 
the objects of his care, usurping no authority which 



finish and the rotundity of period whi 
man so well knows how to give his own letters. 
But for strong sense and appropriate language to 
convey it, no man can excel those letters of Tay- 
lor, in which he found it important to attend to the 
manner as well as the matter of his composition. 
We laugh at the story that he cannot write his 
letters. That, trom his enemies, is a new tribute to 
their excellence! General Cass is, we admit, a 



able life, spent in the presence of his country- 
men, and in sight of the world, in very arduous 
service, without reproach or censure, nay, with 
uniform and universal praise. 



General Taylor''s character as drawn by the Hon. Tru- 
man Smith of Connecticut . 
I declare my utmost confidence in Gen. Taylor. 
, . , , , ^- 0-. , I 'ctil tbat I have a thorough insight into his prin- 

knowing :uid a learned man ; but General laylor I ^inles and his character. As he is an honest man, 
IS a wise man. I agree with the poet, that j j confide in him ; as he is a moderate man, I respect 

"Knowledge and wisdom far from being one, ' him ; as he is a humane man, I admire him; as he 
Have oft-times no connexion. Knowledge dwells' is a man of unsurpassed bravery, I honor him; as 



In heads replete with thoughts of other men — 
Wisdom in minds attentive to their own." 

General Cass has great erudition, and has written 
books. But in the great essential qualities of wis- 
dom, justice, integrity, humanity, and moral as well 
as physical courage, Taylor a]5proaches nearer to 
the character of Washington than any luan who 
has occupied the Presidential chair since his day. 
And with regard to the champion of the gentleman 
from Connecticut, (Mr. Niles,) who has indulged 
himself in a sly fling at General Taylor, I will give 
my opinion with equal fraidcness. Mr. Van Buren 
is a cunning man, and it has often been observed, 
that no cunning man was ever ye 
ceplion is taken to Taylor's qu 

he has been compelled, in his country's service, to , . 

pay more attention to the cartridge than the ballot ' magistrate of those same masse^ 
box; and in his letters has modestly expressed his '^'^^^^ ^an exclaim witu truth, 



he is di-tinguished tor good sen.se and sound dis- 
cretion, I think he will make a safe President; as a 
high sense of justice has ever characterized his con- 
duct, I am willing to trust him with the rights and 
interests of all parts of the country, and j)arlicularly 
those of the free Stales; as he has ever been re- 
markable for firmness and decision of character — 
"asks no favors and fears no responsil>ility" — I be- 
lieve he will, with a steady hand, ijuide the coun- 
try safely through all the perils which may environ 
it; as he possesses the utmost purity and excellence 
of character, I shall take pleasure in seeing him at 
the head of public aflairs ; as he is truly republican 



:et a wise one Ex- '" ^'''^ habits und manners, being one of the people, 
Alifications, because i ''"'Vympathizing thoroughly wiih the masses, I 
^,,,it..„v. c^,-t;<-o tr. ■ think there is a fitness m makinii- him the chief 
id>>e than the ballot ' niagistrate of those same masses, ol whom tlie lium- 
ot?tUr nv-.T-os!^p,l l.w. blest can exclaim witu truth, "he is one of us!" — 
own diflidence of his ability to discharge the duties ^f, ^^ '"? '^^ a good, sound, conservative, and reliable 
of President of the United States. But let me call Whig, abominating war and conlemning meanness, 
the attention of the Senate to what Gen. Washing- ; f'-auJ-fl^'canery, and trickery, who wul put far from 



j^g I hiin all evil doers, political or otherwise, I am for 

j him from the beginning to tlie end of ihe cliapler. 

I I consecrate my hand and my heart to the good old 

"The magnitude and difficulty of the trust to ^ ^^^^^ .,g ,-epresented by Zachary Taylor, and will 



ton said of himself in his inaugural address, 
says to Congress : 



which the voice of my country called me, bein 
sufficient to awaken in the wisest and most expe- 
rienced of her ciiizens a distrustful scrutiny into his 
qualifications, could not but overwhelm with des- 
pondency one, who, in inheriting inferior endow- 
ments from nature, and unpractised in the duties of 



do all within the range of iny feeble abilities to 
make him the next President uf the United States. 
General Taylor^s character as drawn by the Hon. Ro- 
bert Toombs of Georgia. 
It were well to itopfor a moment to inquire wlii^ 






manner of man is this Z;icliary Taylor, and how 
has he won this popular ariertion. His military 
ijenius and success undoubtedly first attracted to ; 
himself public attention, but it at the same time sub- i 
jected him to popular scrutiny. The result of that ! 
sci-utiny disclosed in him moral and mtellectual 
qualities for which the jieople grappled him to their 
hearts, as it were with hooks of steel. Theyadmu-ed 
the soldier, but they loved and trusted the man. ! 
They loved him, liot because he was "without 
fear," but because " he was without reproach." \ 
They found him a man of spotless purity and integ;- I 
rity— modest, truthful, honest, great, and wise. 
Modes', in his estimate of his own greatness; truth- i 
ful and honest in all things; great in action, in 
moulding events; wise in his knowledge and judg- i 
ment of men, and in his conception of practical 
truth, in his adaptation of the best means to the ac- 
complishment of useful and noble ends. He is not 
a man of words, but of thoughts and deeds; his j 
great and noble deedx have filled the civilized world : 
with his own and his country's fame. ! 

Gen. Taylor's character as drawn by the Hon. Caleb 
B. Smith of Indiana. 
The mind of Z-icharv Taylor is cast in no com- 
mon mould. His firmness was the lower of strength 
upon which our little army in Mexico reposed, 
while the clearness and accuracy of his judgment 
have been vindicated in his every action. His des- 
patches to the War Department and other publica- 
tions, designed for the public eye, have no superiors 
of their class. They are all distinguished by disci- 
plined thought, masterly common sense, remarka- 
ble force and elegance of diction, and by a digni- 
fied submission to tlie civil power under the great- 
est personal provocations— while an extreme and 
winning modesty is the very soul of them all. 
Gen. Taylor's character as drawn by the Hon. Robert 
C. Schenck of Ohio. 
I frankly admit that since his nomination, and 
since I have set myself coolly and calmly to con- 
sider, under the best lights afFcu-ded to us, his char- 
acter and position, my'estimation of him lias great- 
ly increased. I believe that he is a strong-mmded, 
single-hearted, true man— as honest as he is brave; 
and that under him we should have a safe, pure, 
and sound Whig administration of the Government. ; 
He is a soldier'^ but regards " war," he says, " at j 
all times and urder all circumstances, as a national i 
calamity, " and he distinctly protests his opposition , 
to the policy wliich would subjugate other nations, i 
and dismenibcr other countries by conquest. j 

General Taylor's character as drawn by Col. Hum- j 
plircy Marshall. j 

If I desired to express in the fewest words what i 
manner of man Gen. Taylor is, 1 should say, that, m 
his manners and his a|)pearance, he is one of the com- 
mon people of this cMOifri/. He might be transferred 
from his tent at Monterey to this assembly, and he 
would not be remarked among this crowd ot respec- 
table old fiirmers as a man at all distinguished from 
those around him. Perfectly temperate m his hab- 
its; perfectly plain in his dress; entirely unassum- 
ing in his manners, he appears to be an old gentle- 
man in fine liealth, whose thoughts are not turned 
upon his personal appearance, and who has no 
point about him to attract particular attention. In 
his intercourse with men he is free, frank, and 
manly. He plays off none of the airs of some great 
men whom I have met. Any one may apjiroach 
him as nearly as can be desired, and the more close- 
ly his character is examined, the greater beauties U 
discloses. 



1. He i? nn honest man. 1 do not mean by that 
merely that he does not cheat or lie. I mean that 
he is a man that never dissembles, and who scorns 
all disguises. His dealings with men have been of 
a most varied character, and I have never heard his 
honest name stained by the breath of the slightest 
reproach. 

2. He is a man of rare ^ood judgment. By no 
means possessed of that brilliancy of genius which 
attracts l)y its flashes, and, like the meteor, expires 
even while you gaze upon it ; Gen. Taylor yet 
has that order of intellect whidi more slowly, but 
quite as surely, masters all thai it engages, and 
examines all the combinations of which (lie subject 
is susceptible. When he announces his conclusions 
you feel confident that he well understands the 
ground upon which he plants himself, and rest as- 
sured that the conclusion is the deduction of skill and 
sound sense faithfully applied to the matter in hand. 
I would to-day prefer his advice in any matter of pri- 
vate interest— would take his opinion as to the val- 
ue of an estate — would rather follow his suggestions 
in a scheme where properly or capital was to be 
embarked — would pursue more confidently his 
counsel where the management of an army was in- 
volved, or the true honor of my country was at 
stake, than that of any man I have ever known. 

3. He is a firm man, and possessed of s;reat energy 
of character. ' It were a waste of time to dwell upon 
these trails of his character, for his military career 
has aftbrdcd such abundant examples of his exer- 
cise of these qualities as to render them fuiiiliar to 
every citizen who has ever heard or read of the man. 

4. He is a benevolent man. This quality has been 
uniformly displayed in his treatment of the prison- 
ers who have been placed in his power by the vicis- 
situdes of war. No man who had seen him after 
the battle of Buena Vista, as he ordered the wagons 
to bring in the Mexican wounded from the battle 

i field, and heard him as he at-once cautioned his 
' own men that the wounded were to be treated with 
mercy, could doubt that he was alive to all the 
kinder impulses of our nature. The irdiscrelions 
of youth he chides with paternal kindness, yet with 
the decision which forbids their repetition ; and the 
young men of his army feel thai it is a pleasure to 
gather around hiiVi, because they know that they 
are as welcome as though they visited the hearth- 
stone of their own home, and they are always as 
freely invited to jjartake of what he has to offer as 
if they were under the roof of a father. His con- 
duct in sparing the deserters who were cajUured at 
Buena Vista exhibited at the same time in a re- 
markable manner his benevolence and his judgment. 
" Don't shoot them" said he ; '■ the worst punish- 
i ment I will inflict is to return them to the Mexican 



army. ,. t i 

5 ■ He is a man of business habUs.—l never have 
known Gen. Taylor to give up a day to pleasure. 
I have never visited his quarters without seeing 
evidence of the industry with which he toded. If 
his talented ad)alanl was surrounded by jiapers, so 
was the General. And though he would salute a 
visitor kindly, and bid him with familiar grace to 
amuse himself until he was at leisure, he never 
would interrupt the duties which his station called 
him to perform. When these were closed for the 
day he seemed to enjoy, to a remarkable degree, 
the vivacity of young ofiiocrs, and V^ be glad to 
mingle in their society. Others will dw.rll upon the 
chivalry he has so often displayed, and his great- 
ness so conspicuou.sly illustrated upon the field of 
battle ; I formed my ideas of the man when he was 
free from duty, and had no motive to appear in any 



other light than sucli as was thrown u[)on him by 
nature, eilucaiioii, ami principles. 
Ccn. Taylor's cliaracler as drawn by Gen. Peryfer F. 
Smdk, a leading Democrat of Louisiana. 

Gen. Taylor's military exploits are not the «<HSfs 
of his jjopularity ; tliey are only the occasions for the 
display of sound judgment, energy ofcliaracter, lofiy 
and pure sense of justice, and incorruptible honesty. 
He has as niuch'reputatiou for what he has writ- 
ten as for what he has done, because even where 
the composition is not his own, the sentiments, mo- 
tives, and feelings are; and everything he says, as 
everything he does, is marked by the puriiy and 
loftiness of his own character. 

i I have never heard of any one, liowever corrupt 
or base himself, that, al'tei- live minutes conversa- 
tion with Gen. Taylor, has dared to })ropose, or 
even liint at, anything dishonest or mean. And no 
intercourse in the ordinary evtnts of common life 
can give the true idea of the loftiness of his charac- 
ter. I remember you asked me at the time he was 
put in command at Corpus Christi, whether he 
was equal to the circiunstances. I told you of his 
sound iudgment and inexhaustible energy as I had 
learned them in Florida, but I did not then estimate 
properly the other and higher points of his charac- 
ter. In the campaign on tlie Rio Grande, I saw 
him tried under all circunistances, and he always 
came out pure gold. 

Gen. Taylor's character as drawn by the .celehrttted 
Captain Br-^og, of the U. S. A. 

The citizens of Mobile, on the 4t]i of July inst., 
caused a splendid sword to be presented to Cap- 
tain Bragg, of the United States Army, as an ex- 
pression of their higli estimate of liis gallantry 
and good conduct on the l>loody field of Buena 
Vista. The ceremony took place in the theatre, 
which was crowded with a fair audience. The 
presentation speech was made l)y G. F. Lind- 
say, and in liis reply thereto Capt. Bragg said: 

For all the success which has attended me in per- 
forming those duties, [in the battles in Mexico,] I 
have been indebted to the confidence and kindness 
of my commander, and the gallantry and devotion 
of those wlio served under me. 

Passing by the incidents of Fort Brown and Mon- 
terey, to which you have so eloquently alluded, I 
may bo pardoned for saying, in reference to the 
more memorable field of Buena Vista, that the credit 
which has been awarded me for the part performed 
by iiiy command on that occasion, has had its ori- 
gin in the disinterestedness and generosity of our 
)ioble old cliief, who is ever inclined to bestow on 
others the honor justly due to himself. T\i Gen. 
Taylor, and to him alone, belongs all the glory of 
that achievement. And I but express the universal 
opinion of those who served under him, in saying 
that no other living man could have obtained that 
victory. So great was the confidence reposed in 
him by his troops, and no other could have com- 
niandtd it, that his presence on any part of the field 
was sufficient not only to cliange despair into hope, 
but to give assurance of victory, and dispel all doubt 
of ultimate triumph. 

Geji. Taylor's character as drawn by Col. Jejfirson 
Davis, a Democratic Senator from J\Iississi])i)i. 

Col. Jefl'erson Davis, who, from the connection 
existing, is not very likely to beiiifluenced by other 

lan true and proper motives, is represented by 

le New Orleans papers as having used the foUow- 
ianguage concerning General Taylor: 



After complimenting his fellow companions from 
otiier States, he for a moment dwelt upon the vir- 
tues of the old hei-o who had led them all to vic- 
tory, and to whom they looked up as children to a 
parent. Col Davis said that General Taylor liad 
shown himself the distinguished soldier of the age, 
yet he was equally remarkable for his kindness of 
heart and simjilicity of habits, his strong judgment 
and excellent sense, lie alluded to that hour of the 
battle of Buena Vista, when tlie day seemtil, if not 
lost, to be going against our arms, when General 
Taylor, amidst the thickest of the iron hail, rode 
upon the ])lateau, and calmly surveyed the scene. 
Vast as were the consequences of that hour, 
lie appeared to fear no danger, expect no harm. 
The e:):citement of the carnage over, the same soul 
that could remain unmoved when his friends were 
falling like leaves around him, who could look un- 
blanclied upon the front of the thundering artillery, 
became the poor soldier's most sympatliizing friend; 
and the eye, so stern in battle, was as mild as the 
tender-hearted matron's. 

Gen. Taylor's character as drawn by J. C Brecken- 
ridgc, esq., over thirty yeahs ago. 

With a frame fitted for the most active and har- 
dy enterprise, a sanguine temper, an invincible 
courage, gifted with a rapid discernment, a discrim- 
inating judgment, and a deep knowledge of man- 
kind, and possessing a heart susceptible of the most gen- 
erous iminUses <f Immunity, we regard Major (now 
Gen.) Taylor as an officer of peculiar promise, and 
hazard, we believe, but little in the prediction that 
in the event of war, at no distant period, between 
the United States and England, or Spain, riding in 
the tide of military glory, he will find his true 
level at the head of the army. 

General Taylor's character as drawn by the Rev. JMr. 
Lamb, one of his Chaplains. 

At the conference of the Congregational and 
Presbyterian ministers of Hillsboro' county, N. H., 
assembled on the 14th of June, the Rev. Mr. Lamb, 
who was formerly a chaplain in the army under 
Gen. Taylor, at Fort Jesup, said that the opening 
for him to do aood in the army was through Gen. 
Taylor, and that through the General's influence a 
temnerance society was formed, by means of which 
600 drunkards were reformed ; that the General told 
him 'hat it was all a sham for a man to pretend he 
could not stand the danijis and heats of tlie South 
without spirituous liquors. Gen. T. was a total 
abstinence man, and the only commanding officer 
who did not drill his troops on the Sabbath. Mr. 
Lamb also stated, that Gen. T. attended his church 
regularly, and used no profane language. Mr. 
Lamb closed Ly saying that he was no politician, 
nor did he wish his remarks to be viewed in a po- 
litical light ; he merely made them to show, tlie way 
foi- doing good by tracts, by the temperance cause, 
ar.d by the ]ireached word, was opened by General 
Taylor. 
General Taylor's cliaracler as drawn by the Rev. Mr. 

Hart, pastor of the Congregational Church, Mrth 

Haven, Connecticut. 

We liave seen an officer, whose name was al- 
most unknown, who at the early age of eighteen 
entered the army of the United States as a lieuten- 
ant of infantry, who, in the war of 1812, and in the 
Florida campaign, displayed the qualities of heroic 
daring and soldierly science, which have since been 
matured to a perfect development, taking the fore- 
most position among the Captains Of this or any 



other age. Brave in the hour of danger, humcine 
ill the moment ot" victory, kind and courageous in 
the varied scenes ot' his warrior-life, he possesses 
the qualities which attract the attention, and demand 
the admiration of mankind. Plain, almost to an 
excess, in liis manners and costume, he still com- 
mands the liomage and confidence of his troops. 
Impressed with the sentiment of liis oioit invinci- 
bility, they never waver in the fiercest conflicts, and 
under his guiding genius fresh recruits bear to the 
battle-field the cool courage and unawed spirit of 
Teterans. In the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca 
de la Palma, along the blazing lines at the storming 
of Monterey, and amid the bloody and terrible 
scenes of Buena Vista, he still displays the ?ame 
fruilfulness of resource and energy in action, which 
distinguish the great commander. His brilliant vic- 
tories have been heralded through the land, and the 
name, which, nineteen months ago, was hardly 
known and hardly uttered, has been heard on every 
lip, and uttered with all the familiarity of a house- 
hold word. 

General T,iylor''s character as draw7i by Father McEl- 
roy, of the Catholic Church, also one of his Chap- 
lains. 

We called a few evenings since, when in Bos- 
ton, (says Thurlow Weed, Esq., of the Albany 
Evening Journal.) upon the venerable Father 
McElroy, one of General Taylor's Chaplains, wlio 
is now pastor of a church in Edincott street, and 
w7jo is covfcssedly ainong the most enlightened and de- 
voted philanthropists in the Union. Heicas7iear Gen. 
Taylor through his most trying scenes in Mexico. He 
confirms, in the most emphatic language, all the 
highly favorable opinions we had previously heard 
expressed by distinguished officers who have served 
long and reputably with him. Father McElroy says 
that General Taylor is truly a great and good man. 
Courage, guided by prudence, and justice, tempered 
with humanity, arc with Gen. Taylor prominent 
characteristics. Temperance and simplicity of habit 
and manner, mark his intercourse with society. 
Integrity and patriotism stand out boldly in all his 
official acts. In a word, Father McElroy expresses 
his conviction that Gen. Taylor, in the elements that 
form his character, and the motives and objects 
^^hich prjmpt and guide him, bears a strong and 
marked resemblance to Washmgton." 

General Taylor's character as a writer, drawn by the 
Hon. John C. Spencer. 

I have often stated my high opinion, not only of 
the sound judgment and unsurpassed discretion of 
General Taylor, but also of his capacity as a writer ; 
and when doubts were cast upon the authorship of 
the admirable despatches which came from Mexico 
under his name, I declared unequivocally my tho- 
rough conviction that he was the author of them. 
And I stated my reasons for this conviction — that 
his official letters, and other communications which 
had fiillen under ray observation, contained the 
same condensed vigor of thought and expression, 
the same peculiarities of style, and beauty, and 
force of language, that characterized his Mexican 
despatches ; and that, iVom circumstances personal- 
ly known to me, I was certain that he could not 
have had the aid in writing the letters and commu- 
•nications referred to, which some of the newspapers 
alleged had been rendered to him in Mexico. This 
opinion I now deliberately reiterate. You and I 
know perfectly well, that persons who are in the 
habit of literary compo.sition can detect the style, 
manner of thought, and turn of expression of a 



writer, after having been acquainted with some of 
his productions, with a certainty at least equal to 
that with which an expert in penmanship can de- 
cide upon the signature of one whom he has seen 
write his name. 

I do not mean to deny that General Taylor, like 
General Washington, and like every other modest 
man, may have had the aid of a literary friend in 
looking over his despatches, written, as they must 
have been, under excitement, and sometimes m 
haste ; and that friend may have erased a redundant 
word or phrase, or rounded a period. If this be 
evidence of incapacity, who shall escape' 

For forty years General Taylor has been in the 
military services of his country: more than thirty 
years of that time in garrisons and at posts where, 
in a time of peace, he has had abundant leisure. 
His habits are admitted on all sides to be exemplary, 
and he is known to be any thing but an indolent 
man. What, then, have probably been his occu- 
pations during the tedious days, weeks, months, 
and years of garrison duty.' The answer to the 
question may be found in the rich, manly, and con- 
densed thought that makes his compositions mo- 
dels of epistolary writing. 

General Taylor^s abilities as a Public Speaker. 

Those persons who question the civil capacities 
of General Taylor, ou^ht to remember that it is only 
two years since his military powers were seriously 
doubted, even by respectable military men. Itseems, 
however, that "Old Zach" is the wonder of his age 
in more respects than one — he can fight well, write 
well, and talk well ; and, by parity of reasoning, 
we conclude that he wdl got-ern well. Does any one 
doubt that General Taylor can talk well? Here is 
the proof. On a recent visit to Plaquemine, La., the 
Old Hero was unexpectedly met by a formal depu- 
tation, and publicly addressed. His reply is of the 
real, old fashioned, Buena Vista order. It clearly 
shows that the old man c^n feel, and think, and talk, 
just as well as fight. We copy from he New Or- 
leans Picayune : 

" General Taylor, in reply, said that he had not 
the most distant idea that he was to be ceremonious- 
ly received by his fellow citizens of Plaquemine, or 
that there would be any occasion for him. to make 
a speech. He seemed much affected, and spoke 
some time in a strain that was singularly eloquent. 
He spoke of the pleasure that he always experi- 
enced in meeting his fellow citizens; of his long ac- 
quaintance with the State of Louisiana ; and of the 
universal good feeling manifested towards him by 
her noble population. He said that he had been in 
public service for forty years ; and that in that time 
he had suffered some hardships, but that he was 
paid over and over again when he received such 
tokens of approbation from his fellow citizens as 
were then exhibited. He rejoiced that he was not 
alone a recipient of the honors of the occasion, for 
there were fathers present who had given sons to 
fight for the honor of their country, some of whom 
had stood by his side in the hour of peril ; but the 
kind and unmerited attention of the fair daughters, 
of Louisiana, he esteemed beyond praise. 

■" This American and truly patriotic spirit of the 
citizen soldier, said General Taylor, excited a new 
sympathy in the regular army, such as he had 
never before seen in his experience of near forty ' 
years. I see around me, continued the General, 
gray haired veterans, whose youth had been spentj 
in the service of their country, like my own ; they|^ 
are rapidly closing their earthly career ; let us hold-, 



i 



said he, ic'Uk a steady grasp, the cataloi:;\u of private 
andjmUic duty oxir countnj lias given us, that our ex- 
amples may be worthy of imitation by these youths, 
(pointing to sixty or seventy boys who formed part 
of the procession,) tiiat are soon to occupy our 
places, and fill our stations in life, who are in fact 1 
the £i;lory of our country and the wealth of our free ! 
institutions.'* 

General Tfl;,7or\s opinions on War. 1 

In a letter to Mr. Truman Smith, of the House of ; 
Representatives, dated at Baton Rouj^e, March 4th, j 
General Taylor says: . . . i 

" I need liardly reply to your concluding inquiry 
that 1 am a jjcace man, and that I deem a state of 
peace to be absolutely necessary to the proper and 
iiealthful action of our republican in.stitutions. On ', 
this important question, I freely confess myself to 
be the unqualified advocate of the principles so often i 
laid down by the Father of his Country, and so ur- - 
gently recommended by him in his Farewell Ad- | 
dress to the American people. Indeed, I think I I 
may safely say that no man can put a more implicit I 
faith than I do in the wisdom of his advice when 
he urged upon us — the propriety of always standing i 
upon our ' own soil.' " I 

In his letter to Captain J. S. Allison, dated April 
22d, General Taylor says : | 

" My life has been devoted to arms, yet I look 
upon war, at all times and under all circumstances, [ 
as a national calamity, to be avoided if compatible | 
with national honor. The principles of our Gov- | 
ernrnent, as well as its true policy, are opposed to i 
the subjugation of other nations, and the dismem- \ 
berment of other countries by conquest." i 

At a dinner in New Orleans, given in December 
last in honor of General Taylor, he responded to a i 
complimentary sentiment by declaring — I 

" Tliat the joy and exnltutinn of the greatest victories \ 
icere always, after the heat and excitement of the battle, I 
succeeded by feelings of poignant sorroxc and pain; and \ 
that war, after all, teas a great calamity, and his the j 
greatest glory who could terminate it.'''' I 

Good Precedents of General Taylor — Position of hide- \ 
pendence of Party. i 

John duincy Adams, in his address to his con- 
stituents in 1H42, said: " 1 entered the National i 
House of Representatives in December, 1831, with j 
an assurance to the constituents by whom I was ' 
elected, that I should hold myself bound in alle- j 
giance to no party, whether sectional or political. ; 
I thought this a dutj'^ imposed upon me by my pe- j 
culiar position. I had spent the greatest portion of ; 
my life in the service of the trhole nation, and had I 
been honored with their highest trust. My duty j 
of fidelity, of affection, and of gratitude to the 
whole was not merely inseparable from, but identi- I 
cal with, tliat which was due from me to my own 1 
native Commonwealth." I 

William Henry Harrison, in his letter to Har- 
mar Denny, giving his views of the duty of Presi- j 
dent, said, "he should never suffer the influence of | 
\ his office to be used for purjioses of a purely party j 
character." In his letter to Sherrod Williams, | 
.upon the same subject, he says : " The framers of j 
uhe Constitution never could have expected that he,, 
vwho v/as constituted the umpire between contend- 
ing parties, should ever identify himself with the 
iViterests of one of them, and voluntarily razee him- 
self from the proud eminence of leader of a nation, 
tof that of chief of a party." 

(Daniel Webster, in advocating the election of 
GimeraJ Harri.son, said : " If I desire the success, 



as I most anxiously do, of the Whig candidate 
now in nomination for the Presidency, it is because 
he would be President of tlie whole people; that his 
administration would be just, liberal, and compre- 
hensive." 

General Taylor's Republican habits and simplicity of 
manners. 

The committee from New Orleans, which pre- 
sented General Taylor a sword on behalf of their 
fellow-citizens, gave the following account of the 
interview: "We presented ourselves at the open- 
ing of one of the tents, before whicli was standing 
a dragoon's horse, much used by hard service. 

Upon a camp-stool at our left sat General , 

in busy conversation with a hearty-looking old 
gentleman, sitting on a box, cushioned with an 
Arkansas blanket, dressed in Attakapas pantaloons 
and a linen roundabout, and remarkable for a bright 
flashing eye, a high forehead, a farmer look, and 
"rough and ready" appearance. It is hardly ne- 
cessary for us to say that this personage was Gen. 
Taylor, the commanding hero of two of the most 
remarkable battles on record, and the man who, by 
his firmness and decision of character, has shed 
lustre upon the American arms. 

" There was no pomp about iiis tent ; a couple 
of rough blue chests served for his table, upon 
which was strewn, in masterly confusion, a variety 
of official documents. We bore to the General a 
complimentary gift from some of his fellow-citi- 
zens of New Orleans, which he declined receiving 
for the present; giving at the same time a short but 
' hard sense' lecture on the impro|jriety of naming 
children and places after men before they were 
dead, or of his receiving a present for his services 
' before the campaign, so far as he was concerned, 
was finished.' " 

Jlnother Incident- 

The singular simplicity that marks Gen. Tay- 
lor's personal appearance and habits, has become a 
subject of universal fame. Commodore Conner, 
on the contrary, is an officer that is not only strict 
in his dress, but has an extra nicety about it. He 
appears in full and splendid uniform on all public 
occasions — being the exact contrast, in this particu- 
lar, of General Taylor. 

At the proper time, Commodore Conner sent 
word to General Taylor that he would come on 
shore to pay him a visit of ceremony. This put 
'Old Rough and Ready' into a tremendous excite- 
ment. If Commodore Conner liad quietly come 
up to his tent, an:l given him a sailor's grip, and 
sat down on a camp chest, and talked over matters 
in an old fashioned way. General Taylor would 
have been prepared ; but to have the most carefully 
I dressed officer in our navy, commanding the finest 
fleet, come in full uniform — surrounded by all the 
I glittering pomp of splendid equipments — to pay a 
j visit of ceremony, w^is more than General Taylor 
j had, without some effort, nerve to go through with;. 
I but, ever equal to all emergencies, he determined 
j to compliment Commodore Conner, and through 
! him the Navy, by appearing in full uniform. 

In the mean while, Commodore Conner was fog- 
itating over the most proper way to compliment 
General Taylor. Having heard of his peculiar dis- 
regard of military dress, he concluded he would 
make the visit in a manner comporting to General 
Taylor's habits, and consequently equipped himselt* 
in plain white drilling, and, unattended, came 
ashore. 

Tiic moment that General Taylor heard that 



Commodore Conner had landed, lie abandoned i 
some heavy work he was personally attending to 
about the camp, and precipitately rushed into his i 
tent, delved at the bottom of an old chest, and l 
pulled out a unitorni coat, that had peacefully ; 
slumbered for years in undisturbed quietude, slip- | 
ped himself into it, in his haste fastening it so that 
one side of the standing collar was three button- 
holes above the other, and sat himself down as un- 
comfortable as can well be imagined. With quiet 
step, and unattended, Commodore Conner present- 
ed himself at General Taylor's tent. The noble 
representatives of the army and navy shook hands, 
both in exceeding astonishment at each other's per- 
sonal appearance. 

The wags of the army say that the above con- 
tains the only authentic account of General Taylor's 
ever being 'headed,' and that since that time he has 
taken to linen roundabouts of the largest dimen- 
sions, with more pertinacity than ever." 
General Taylor's Humanity. 

To show that courage and humanity are kindred 
virtues, the Albany Evening Journal, on the au- 
thority of a venerable chaplain who was attached 
to the army in Mexico, states, that after the battle 
of Buena Vista General Taylor made his disposi- 
tions for the renewal of the conflict on 'he following 
morning. Cut at the dawn of the next day Santa 
Anna was in full retreat. The American cavalry 
were despatched in pursuit. Soon messengers re- 
turned informing the General that the Mexicans, 
broken and scattered, were in rapid flight, but that 
the roads and the way-sides were strewn with ex- 
hausted, famished, and wounded soldiers, all of 
whom, in the precipitation of Santa Anna's flight, 
were left to die, without either food, water, ormed- 
ical attendants. Ui>on receiving this information. 
General Taylor immediately ordered twenty wag- 
ons to be furnished with all that was required for 
the relief of those whom the Mexican general had 
left to suffer and die. These wagons were promptly 
despatched, accompanied by surgeons, who were 
directed to find and administer, to all the sutferers. 
And to the quartermaster who executed this order, 
General Taylor said, " Keep an exact account of 
every article sent, so that if any doubt should arise 
of the propriety of thus relieving the enemy's 
wounded,- I can pay for them myself" 
Another incident. 

A correspondent of the Montgomery (Alabama) 
Journal says, that General Taylor lately had occa- 
sion to visit Point Isabel, after the battle of Buena 
Vista, and the captain of the steamboat had reserv- 
ed a suite of state-rooms for the Genejal's accommo- 
dation. There were several sick and wounded vol- 
unteers on the boat, en route for New Orleans, who 
had to take the wayfare incident to a crowded boat, 
and particularly so on this occasion. General Tay- 
lor saw all this, and at once ordered these men to 
be placed in his sUte-rooms, and proper attention 
paid them. It was rather a cold rainy day when 
this occurred. The deck hands, and many others 
on the boat, did not know General Taylor. The 
wind blew high, and the firemen had raised a sail 
in front of the boilers to protect themselves from 
the rain, and under this sail there were some old 
mattresses; here General Taylor laid down and 
went to sleep. At supper time great inquiries were 
made for the General, and servants sent off to look 
him up. Bat he could not be found! At last some 
one going below inquired of a fireman if he had 
seen anything of such and such a man; the fireman 
said no, and added, "there is a clever old fellow 



asleep under the sail, in front of the fire!" It was 
General Taylor. Yes, sweet, indeed, must have 
been the sleep of such a man, who has the heart 
to change places with the poor sick soldier, as Gen- 
eral Taylor did on this occasion ; such humanity 
stands out in bold relief, and greatly mitigates the 
evils incident to war, 

General Taylor^s indomitable courage at the battle of 
Buena Vista, as described by Lt. Conoine. 
At a time when the fortunes of the day seemed 
extremely problematical, v/hen many of our side 
even despaired of success, the Gen. took his posi- 
tion on a commanding height, overlooking the two 
armies. This was about three or perhaps four 
o'clock in the afternoon. The enemy, who had suc- 
ceeded in gaining an advantageous position, made 
a fierce charge upon our column, and fought with 
a desperation that seemed for a time to insure suc- 
cess to their arms. The struggle lasted for some 
time. All the while General Taylor was a silent 
spectator, his countenance exhibiting the most anx- 
ious solicitude, alternating between hope and de- 
spondency. His staff, perceiving his perilous situ- 
ation, (for he was exposed to the fire of the enemy,) 
approached him and implored him to retire. He 
heeded them not. His thoughts were intent upon 
victory or deleat. He knew not at this moment 
what the result would be. He felt that that engage- 
ment was to decide his fate. He had given all his 
orders and selected his position. If the day went 
against him he has irretrievably lost: if for him, 
he could rejoice in common with his countrymen, 
at the triumphant success of our arms. 
General Taylor's Fearlessness. 
At the time General Taylor was conducting the 
Florida war against the Seminoles, he became re- 
markable among the Indians for his singular disre- 
gard of danger. At the time the Indians were most 
troublesome to our troops. Gen. Taylor announced 
his determination to go from Fort King to Tampa 
Bay, which journey would take him through near- 
; ly one hundred miles of hostile country. The 
I jaunt was considered by every body as a most des- 
', perate adventure. The morning for starting came, 
! when the General's travelling companions. Major 
} Bliss and a young lieutenant, began to look wist 
fully around for the appearance of ihe escort. In 
I due time, six dragoons, all saddled and bridled, 
I made their appearance. There was a force to meet 
I several thousand wiley Seminoles, who filled up 
every nook and corner between Fort King and 
: Tampa Bay! After some hesitation, one of the 
\ General's friends suggested that the escort was not 
; sufliciently strong, and that a requisition should be 
i made for a greater force. The General examined 
} the appearance of the six dragoons attentively for 
a moment, and then remarked, if the number was 
I not sufficient, two more might lae added to it. 
Gen. Taylm-'s firmness and determination. 
The next morning, after the battle of Palto Alto, 
General Taylor advanced with his army, and found 
the enemy awaiting him at La Resaca de la Palma, 
a ravine crossing the road at right angles, where 
they had thrown up lireaslworks. It was a daring 
act to combat six thousand veterans, entrenched, 
in a chosen position, strongly defended with artil- 
lery, with about two thousand; and there was 
some hesitation, in a council of war, about the 
propriety of going on. General Taylor patiently 
heard what all had to say, and then drily remarked- 
" I promised the boys they should go to For 
Brown, amU/ict/ 7>ms/ "go." He had written to th 



8 



Department, before leaving Point Isabel ; '* If the 
enemy oppose my march, in whatever numbers, I 
shall fight him ;" and now laid his plans for attack 
with cool sagacity. An officer, who had always 
been very prominent on parade and in councils of 
war, was ordered to deploy his regiment on the 
enemy's Hank. Not over delighted with the pros- 
pect of escopeta shots, the Colonel stammered out a 
request to know what his men should fill back on, 
if repulsed.' " T/iey never will be repulsed," said 
General Taylor;" and, if lyott wish to relre&l. full 
back on Am Orleans .'" 

General Taylor''s condescension andfamiiutrUij. 

General Taylor's marquee at Victoria was about 
a mile above that of General Patterson, and be- 
tween the two the Tennessee cavalry was encamp- 
ed. General Taylor was riding from his quarters 
to General Patterson's one day upon a beautiful 
Mexican pony, and on his route passed close to a 
Tennessee trooper, who was rubbing down his 
horse. Totally ignorant of the rank of the plainly 
dressed old man, and struck by the beauty of his 
animal, he accosted him with, ''Look here, stranger, 
wouldn't you like to swap that ar pony r" 

" No, friend," quietly responded the General, 
" he is a favorite nag of mine, and I do not desire 
to part with him." ^ 

A comrade of the trooper's, recognising the Gen- 
eral, said to him, in an under tone, " Bill, you fool, 
don't you know who you're talking to? Thai's 
General Taylor." 

Now, Bill, regarding General "Old Rough and 
Ready" as the greatest man on the face of the 
smiling earth, was terrified at finding that he had 
put his foot into it, stammered out : 

" Gg-gineral, I-I-I didn't know it was you ; I 
beg p-p-pardon. General." The old commander 
kindly offered his hand to the trooper to relieve 
him from his embarrassment, inquired his name 
and residence, complimented the Tennesseeans, * 
telling him that he had found them the bravest of 
the brave, and rode quietly on. 

Gen. Taylor's vigilance in protecting soldiers against 
iinposilion. 
ANohleAct. — General Taylor, in 1814-'15, 
was a Captain, or perhaps a Major by brevet, and 
stationed with his company at Green Bay. The 
paymaster received from the Government the ne- 
cessary funds to pay off the United States troops, 
which funds, save a small amount, he exchanged 
for the bills of J. H. Piatt &. Co., bankers in the 
city of Cincinnati. This was a " business transac- 
tion on private account." The paymaster proceed- 
ed to Detroit, and there paid off the soldiers in his 
locofoco individual responsibility paper; he then pro- 
ceeded to Mackinaw, and there paid off the soldiers 
in like manner; lastly, he reached Green Bay. 
Here, again, the paymaster, with proper official so- 
lemnity, counted out to Captain Taylor the bills of 
J. H. Piatt & Co., bankers, for the soldiers. Old 
Zuch looked at the "rags," and said, " Is this the 
stuff you intend to pay us ?" The paymaster assured 
him it was the same he paid to the men at Detroit 
and Mackinaw ;" " but," said he, with a knowing 
wink, "//ifli-e United States Bank bills for you offi- 
cers." To this Captain Taylor replied : " Sir, my 
men receive no money that I am unicilUng to take 
myself— go back and get us good money." 

Gcniral Taylor's respect for, and attachment to, his 
troops. 
The following, from the Picayune, speaks for 



itself: "The parting scene between the Mi.^issippi 
regiment and General Taylor, we are told, was af- 
fecting in the extreme. As the men marched by 
him to return to their homes, overpowered with a 
recollection of the high deeds which had endeared 
them to him, and with their demonstration- of re- 
spect and affection, he attempted in vain to address 
them. With tears streaming down his furrowed 
cheeks, all he could say was, 'Go on, Lioys, go on, 
I cmi't speak !'" 

General Taylor'' s goodness of heart and kind feelings. 

In tlie couwe of tlic Hon. R. \V. Tlionipson's remarks at 
llu? Baltinioie Kaiilicatioji ineetiii!;, he asked, " VVliat Imd 
Old Zach doner" Here a voice in ttre ciowd replied, " I'll 
lell you what he has done. About two weeks ago I stopped 
at Gen Taylor's house, and he received me in the most cor- 
dial manner, gave me a coinforlalile meal and a giK)d leather 
hed to sleep on, and in the morning ten dollars to pursue my 
journey with." 

Mr. 'V. then inquired of the pcr.son speaking who he was ; 
to which he replied, that he w.ts a wounded soldier on his 
return from the annv in Me.xico This incident created 
great enthusiasm anions the crowds of listeners, and was the 
prelude to the mention of various anecdotes l>y Mr T ,illus- 
irative of the goodness of heart and kind feelings of General 
Taylor." 

General Taiy/or's punctuality in his correspondence. 

Samuel C. Reid,esq, thus narrates a morning call alhead- 
qnarters : 

" Calling on the Commapdin? General soon after our re- 
covery, to ascertain the chances of transportation, he re- 
marked, after some pleasant conversation, that he was per- 
fectly deluged with letters, and that much of his time was 
occupied in makini; replies. ' And, sir,' said General Tay- 
lor, smiling, as he handed us two letters, ' to show you the 
diversity of sulijects tliat I am called upon to respond t'l, 
you may look at these.' One of llie letters was from a boy, 
iourteeii years of age, giving a sort of history of himself and 
family, and who desired to enlist in the service, and had 
written to the General to ask his advice on the subject '. 
The other was from an Irish woman, who wanted to know 
if her son iMike was killed, as she had not lieaid fiom him 
since the late battles. We feel sure that such letters would 
not have received attention at Washington, but both of them 
were an,swered by the General, carrying out the maxiin that 
nothing is beneath the notice of a great man ; and we left 
him, impressed with the great goodness of his heart." 

General Taylor''s brevity. 



?????? 



Headquarturs, Army of Occcpation, 

Near Buena Visla, February 2C, 1847. 
Pir: In reply to your note of this date, summoning me to 
surrender my forces at discretion, I beg leave to say that 1 
decline acceding to your request- 

Wfth high respect, I am, sir, 

Your obedierit servant, 

Z. TAYLOR, 
Major General U. J'. Army, cotiinianding. 
Senor Gen. D Antonio Lopez de .Santa Anna, Commaj;- 
der-in-chief, La Encantada. 

^Inother specimen of brevity. 



Detroit, May 17th. 
Dear Sir: I am much obliged to you for your kind at- 
tention in transmitting me an invitation to attend the con- 
vention <m internal improvements, whieli will meet in 
Chicago in July. Circumstances, however, will put it 
out of my power to be present at that time. 

1 am, dear sir, respectfully youis, 

LEWIS CASS. 



Still anotlier. 



(Private and contideiUial ) 
U. i?. Navy Depart.mknt, May 13th, 1846. 
Commodore: If Sanla Anna endeavors to enter the 
Mexican puns, you will allow him to pass freely. 
Rcspccllully yours, 

(;r.O. BANCROFT . 
Com. CoNMCR, Coni'g Home Pquadroii. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



011 897 588 1 9k 



011 897 588 1 



